This startling satellite image shows the size of the storm as it sits across the Atlantic Ocean - reaching from the USA to Europe.

Weather boffins remain unsure of just how and when the storm will affect the UK, but they all agree it will see showers hit much of the nation over the weekend, while strong winds will also batter parts of the country.

Mark Wilson, meteorologist at the Met Office, said the expected weather was not unusual for this time of year, but winds could be higher than normal while warm air brought in by the storm could see unseasonably high temperatures through Friday and Saturday.

He said: "There is a lot of uncertainty about it, but it is not a severe storm and it is not looking to bring overly bad weather into the UK.

"Through the course of Friday to next week there will be fairly strong winds but at the end of this week, Friday and Saturday, we can expect high temperatures. In the south east it could reach the high teens or even 20 degrees."

Rain is expected to hit the whole country today, with the South West and East Anglia getting downpours tomorrow and even thunder storms predicted for some areas.

The rain is due to slow down into Friday, but then pick up again on Saturday and sweep into the west over the weekend.

Experts said that much of the uncertainty around the weather is due to the remains of Hurricane Gonzalo which has battered the tiny Caribbean island of St Martin.

The hurricane is now expected to head towards Bermuda and the extra tropical remnants it creates will be caught in the jet stream and head towards Europe next Tuesday.

Thousands of people enjoyed sunshine in Scotland at the end of July as temperatures reached about 27C, coinciding with the start of the Commonwealth Games.